West Side Market -- National Historic Landmark

The West Side Market is THE indoor/outdoor food market in Cleveland, Ohio which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973.  It's a taste of European culture and well worth a visit if you make it to Cleveland!  The current building was finished in 1912 and actually sits across the street from the site of Cleveland's first open-air market, founded in 1840.

The operators of the indvidual stalls are members of the West Side Market Tenant's Association, founded in 1915. Many of the current tenants are from families that have been part of the Association for 75 years or more.  That's pretty cool, don't you think?

My grandmother, Julia Nagy, lived in Cleveland, Ohio and worked at the West Side Market for over 50 years. Throughout her working life, she often worked two jobs to support her family as both my mother and uncle [her children] were born at the start of the Great Depression.

My fond memories of my grandmother include the West Side Market as I visited there quite a few times as a young child. Me and my two sisters and brother would each have our opportunity to stay with our grandparents during the summer months and ride the Rapid Transit downtown.

Sometimes we'd go shopping at Higbee's before stopping for lunch at Mill's Restaurant, another place my grandmother also worked as a cook.

I remember the wonderful butter, bread, cheeses, meats, and desserts that she would bring home from the West Side Market. She introduced us to sweet butter and some interesting luncheon meat such as blood tongue--I've not had it since. When I had that meat in my sandwich, no one at school cared to trade with me.

Oh, that picture of me with my grandmother is in her Cleveland, Ohio home that was located at 16605 Chatfield Avenue. For her to get to her job at the West Side Market, she walked a short distance to Rocky River Drive which was a couple of blocks from Kamm's Corner and Lorain Avenue. She took a bus to the Rapid Transit station which took her downtown near the West Side Market. That was also another fond memory--riding the Rapid Transit!

P.S. My grandmother was a fantastic cook ... her stuffed cabbage was TDF!!!

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